the mail within the preceding year, stating in each case of contract its date and duration, the name of the contractor, the route or routes embraced in the contract, with the length of each, with the times of arrival and departure at the ends of each route, the mode of transportation contracted for, and the price stipulated to be paid by the department; also a statement of all such land and water mails as may have been established or ordered by the department within the year preceding, other than those let to contract at the annual lettings of mail contracts, specifying, in each case the route or water course on which the mail is established, the name of the person employed to transport it, the mode of transportation, the amount paid or to be paid, and the proposed duration of the order or contract.

Second, A report of all allowances made to contractors within the year preceding, beyond the sums originally stipulated in their respective contracts, and the reasons for the same; and of all orders made by the department, whereby additional expense is, or will be incurred, beyond the original contract price on any land or water route, specifying, in each case, the route to which the order relates, the name of the contractor, the original service provided by the contract, the original price, the date of the order for additional service, the additional service required, and the additional allowance therefor; also, a report of all curtailments of expenses effected by the department within the preceding year, specifying, in each case, the same particulars as required in cases of additional allowances.

Third, A report of all incidental expenses of the department for the year ending on the thirtieth day of June preceding, arranged according to the several objects as for "wrapping paper," "office furniture," "advertising," "mail bags," "blanks," "mail locks, keys, and stamps," "mail depredations, and special agents," "clerks for offices," "miscellaneous," showing the sum paid under each head of expenditures, and the names of the persons to whom paid, except only that the names of persons employed in detecting depredations on the mail, and other confidential agents, need not be disclosed in said report.

Fourth, A report of the finances of the post office department for the year ending on the thirteith day of June preceding, showing the whole amount of balances due to the department at the beginning of the year, from postmasters and all others, the whole amount of postage that accrued within the year, the whole amount of the engagements and liabilities of the departments for mail transportation during the year, the amount actually paid during the year, for and on account of mail transportation, and otherwise, stating separately so much of the said amount as may have been paid on account of the transportation of the mail, and for other debts for the same object, in preceding years.

Fifth, A report of all fines imposed, and deductions from the pay of contractors made during the preceding year, for failures to deliver the mail, or for any other cause, stating the names of the delinquent contractors, the nature of the delinquency, the route on which it occurred, the time when it occurred, the time when the fine was imposed, and whether the fine has been remitted, or order for reduction rescinded, and for what reason.

contracts, and

23. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty Advertiseof the postmaster general, before advertising for proposals for ments for the transportation of the mail, to form the best judgment practi- regulations cable as to the mode, time, and frequency of transportation on respecting each route, and to advertise accordingly. No consolidated or them. combination-bid shall be received, and no additional compensation shall be made to any mail contractor, so as that the compensation for additional regular service shall exceed the exact proportion which the original compensation bears to the original services stipulated to be performed: and no extra allowance shall be made to any contractor, by the postmaster general, for an increase of expedition in the transportation of the mail, unless thereby the employment of additional stock or carriers, by the contractor, shall be rendered necessary; and in such case, the additional compensation shall never bear a greater proportion to the additional stock or carriers rendered necessary, than the sum stipulated in the original contract bears to the stock and carriers necessarily employed in its execution, and when any extra service shall be ordered, the amount of the allowance therefor, in dollars and cents, shall be signified in the order for such service, and be forthwith entered upon the books of the post office department, and no additional compensation shall be paid for any extra regular services rendered before the issuing of such order, and the making of such entry, and every order, entry, or memorandum whatever, on which any action of the department is to be had, allowance made, or money paid, and every contract, paper or obligation drawn up in said office, by any officer thereof, shall have affixed to it its true date: and every paper relating to contracts or allowances filed in said office, shall have the date of its filing endorsed thereon. And whenever it shall become necessary to change the terms of any existing contract in any other manner than that designated in this act, or to enter into a contract for the transportation of the mail at any other time than at the annual letting, the postmaster general shall give notice in one newspaper published at Washington city, and in one newspaper published as near as may be to the route on which the services are to be performed for at least four weeks before changing or making such contract, inviting proposals therefor; which proposals shall be received and opened, and such proceedings thereon had, in all things, as at the annual lettings. Provided however, Proviso. That the postmaster general may take temporary contracts until a regular letting can take place.

§ 24. And be it further enacted, That proposals for mail con- Proposals for tracts shall be delivered to the department sealed, and shall be contracts. kept sealed until the biddings are closed, and shall then be opened and marked in the presence of the postmaster general and of one of the assistant postmasters general, or in the presence of two of the assistant postmasters general. And the contracts in all cases shall be awarded to the lowest bidder, except when his bid is not more than five per centum below that of the last contractor, on the route bid for, who shall have faithfully performed his contract. Provided however, That the postmaster general shall not be bound Proviso.

Offers for carrying the

mail to be recorded.

Persons em

ployed in P. O. not to be

interested in contracts.

Proposals for transporting

ty, &c.

to consider the bid of any person who shall have wilfully or ne gligently failed to execute or perform a prior contract.

$25. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the postmaster general to have recorded in a well-bound book, a true and faithful abstract of offers made to him for carrying the mail, embracing as well those which are rejected, as those which are accepted. The said abstract shall contain the names of the party or parties offering the terms on which he or they propose to carry the mail, the sum for which it is offered to contract; and the length of time the agreement is to continue. And it shall also be the duty of the postmaster general to put on file and preserve the originals of the propositions of which abstracts are here directed to be made, and to report at each session of Congress a true copy from the said record of all offers made for carrying the mail as aforesaid.

$26. And be it further enacted, That if any person employed in the post office department or postmaster shall become interested in any mail contract or act as agent, with or without compensation, in any matter or thing relating to business in said department, for any contractor, or person offering to become a contractor, he shall be forthwith dismissed from office and shall be liable to pay so much money as would have been realized from said contract, to be recovered in an action of debt in any court having jurisdiction thereof, in the name of the United States, for the use of the post office department; and it shall be the duty of the postmaster general to cause prosecution to be instituted.

§ 27. And be it further enacted, That every proposal for the the mail to be transportation of the mail shall be accompanied by a written accompanied guaranty, signed by one or more responsible persons, to the effect by a guaran- that he or they undertake that the bidder or bidders will, if his or their bid be accepted, enter into an obligation, in such time as may be prescribed by the postmaster general, with good and sufficient sureties, to perform the service proposed. No proposal shall be considered, unless accompanied by such guaranty. If, after the acceptance of a proposal, and notification thereof to the bidder or bidders, he or they shall fail to enter into an obligation within the time prescribed by the postmaster general, with good and sufficient sureties for the performance of the service, then the postmaster general shall proceed to contract with some other person or persons, for the performance of the said service, and shall forthwith cause the difference between the amount contained in the proposal so guarantied, and the amount for which he may have contracted for the performance of said service, for the whole period of the proposal, to be charged up against the said bidder or bidders, and his or their guarantor or guarantors, and the same may be immediately recovered by the United States, for the use of the post office department, in an action of debt against either or all of the said persons.

Contracts not

§ 28. And be it further enacted, That no contract for the transto be made portation of the mail shall knowingly be made by the postmaster general, with any person who shall have entered into any combi

tered into

nation, or proposed to enter into any combination, to prevent the who have enmaking of any bid for a mail contract by any other person or combination, persons; or who shall have made any agreement, or who shall have given or performed, or promised to give or perform, any consideration whatever, in order to induce any other person or persons not to bid for a mail contract. And if any person so offending be a mail contractor, he may be forthwith dismissed from the service of the department: Provided, That whenever the postmaster Proviso, general shall exercise the power conferred on him by this section, he shall transmit a copy or statement of the evidence on which he acts, to Congress, at its next session.

be made until

§ 29. And be it further enacted, That no person whose bid for No payment to the transportation of the mail may be accepted, shall receive any after execu pay, until he shall have executed his contract according to law tion of conand the regulations of the department; nor shall any payment be tract. made for any additional regular service in the transportation of the mail, unless the same shall have been rendered in obedience to a prior legal order of the postmaster general.

March 3,

§ 30. And be it further enacted, That so much of the act con- Part of act of cerning the post office department, approved March third, eigh- 1825, repealteen hundred and twenty-five, as directs that duplicates or copies ed. of contracts or orders made by the postmaster general shall be lodged in the office of the comptroller of the treasury, be repealed.

ed with sche

§ 31. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Postmasters postmaster general to furnish to the postmasters at the termina- to be furnish tion of each route, a schedule, specifying the times of arrival and dule of times departure at their offices, respectively, of each mail, a copy of of arrival and which the postmaster shall post up in some conspicuous place in departure, his office; and the postmaster general shall also furnish a notice in like manner, of any change or alteration in the arrivals and departures which may be ordered by him. And it shall be the duty of every postmaster promptly to report to the department every delinquency, neglect, or malpractice of the contractors, their agents or carriers, that may come to his knowledge. And the postmaster general shall cause to be kept, and returned to the department, at short and regular intervals, by postmasters at the ends of routes, and such others as he may think proper, registers, showing the exact times of the arrivals and departures of the mails.

§ 32. And be it further enacted, That if any postmaster shall Penalty for detaining let unlawfully detain in his office any letter, package, pamphlet, or ters, &c. in a newspaper, with intent to prevent the arrival and delivery of the post office, same to the person or persons to whom such letter, package, pamphlet or newspaper may be addressed or directed in the usual course of the transportation of the mail along the route; or if any postmaster shall, with intent as aforesaid, give a preference to any letter, package, pamphlet, or newspaper, over another, which may pass through his office, by forwarding the one and retaining the other, he shall, on conviction thereof, be fined in a • sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, and imprisoned for a term not exceeding six months, and shall, moreover, be forever

senate.

thereafter incapable of holding the office of postmaster in the United States.

Certain post- § 33. And be it further enacted, That there shall be appointed masters to be by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and appointed by and with the consent of the senate, a deputy postmaster for each post office at consent of the which the commissions allowed to the postmasters amounted to one thousand dollars or upwards, in the year ending the thirtieth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five, or which may, in any subsequent year, terminating on the thirtieth day of June, amount to or exceed that sum, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, unless sooner removed by the President. §34. And be it further enacted, That assistant postmasters and and clerks ex- clerks regularly employed and engaged in post offices, shall be military duty, exempt from militia duty, and serving on juries, and from any fine or penalty for neglect thereof.

Postmasters

empt from

Advertise

$35. And be it further enacted, That advertisements of letters ments of let- remaining in the post offices may, under the direction of the post master general, be made in more than one newspaper: Provided, That the whole cost of advertising shall not exceed four cents for each letter.

ters may be made in more than one pa

per. Proviso.

Postmasters

than such as

§ 36. And be it further enacted, That no postmaster shall renot to receive ceive free of postage, or frank, any letter or packet composed of, or frank any or containing anything other than paper or money; and for a package other violation of this provision, the offender shall be dismissed from contain paper office, and upon conviction in any court of competent jurisdiction, pay a fine of twenty dollars. And no person shall hold the office of postmaster who shall not be an actual resident of the city or town wherein the office is situated, or the district of country usually supplied by said office.

or money.

Release of

postmaster.

§37. And be it further enacted, That when any one or more sureties of a of the sureties of a postmaster shall notify to the postmaster general their desire to be released from the suretyship, or when the postmaster general shall deem it necessary, he shall require the said postmaster to execute a new bond, with security, which, when accepted by the postmaster general, shall be as valid as the bond given upon the original appointment of said postmaster, and the sureties in the prior bond shall be released from responsibility for all acts or defaults of said postmaster, which may be done or committed subsequent to the acceptance of the new bond, the date of which shall be endorsed thereon. Provided, That payments made subsequent to the execution of the new bond by said postmaster shall be applied first to discharge any balance which may be due on the old bond, unless he shall, at the time of payment, expressly direct them to be applied to the credit of his new ac

Proviso.

Penalties for

mail.

count.

§ 38. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall be stealing or ta accessary after the fact, to the offence of stealing or taking the king letters, &c. from the mail of the United States, or of stealing or taking any letter or packet, or enclosure in any letters or packet sent or to be sent in the mail of the United States, from any post office in the United States, or from the mail of the United States, by any person or persons whatever, every person so offending as accessary, shall, on conviction thereof, pay a fine not exceeding one thousand dol